Easy Holiday Appetizer: How To Make Cross Pull-Apart Bread

This post is about pull-apart bread.

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There’s just something about a buttery & cheesy appetizer. This cross-shaped pull-apart bread is one of our family’s favorites. It’s SO simple - made with crescent rolls and Boursin cheese, which means you can throw it together super last minute (& no one will have any idea!).

My parents make this every year, and it’s one of those appetizers that everyone's grabbing at while the rest of the food cooks. We love shaping it into a cross for Easter & Christmas, but you can create any shape you want!

This post is about pull-apart bread.

Why you'll love this pull-apart bread...

• Simple & affordable ingredients!
• It's great for holidays like Easter, Christmas, or anytime you're hosting.
• You can make it customizable with different herbs & cheeses.
• Fast prep—only 10-15 minutes of hands-on time (less if you have help!)
• Perfect last-minute!

This pull-apart bread appetizer feels thoughtful without being overly complicated—exactly what you want when you're cooking for a crowd.

Pull-Apart Bread Ingredients

• 2 cans Pillsbury crescent roll dough
• 2 different flavors of Boursin cheese (Garlic & Fine Herbs + Shallot & Chive is a great combo)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 garlic clove, minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh mixed Italian herbs (like rosemary, parsley, basil, oregano) — or 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
• Optional: grated Parmesan for garnish

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How To Make Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread

Preheat your oven:

Set your oven to 375°F and lightly grease a large baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.

Prep your dough:

Unroll the crescent dough and separate into triangles. Cut each triangle in half (longways). You'll have roughly 32 in total.

Scoop a small amount (roughly 2 teaspoons) of Boursin cheese into the center of each and fold the dough around it to form a ball, pinching to seal.

Pick your shape & bake:

Create your desired shape on your baking sheet. Leave a little bit of space between each dough ball for rising.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown on top.

Top it & serve:

While the bread is baking, melt your butter and stir in the garlic and herbs.Remove your bread rom the oven, and brush the rolls generously with the herb butter. 

Sprinkle with a little Parmesan if you’d like.

Things To Consider:

Don't overfill your dough.

If you overfill your dough you'll have cheese leaking out during the bake. Fill them just enough to fully seal.

Fresh is best, but not necessary.

Fresh herbs & garlic are best, but you can absolutely work with garlic powder & dried spices!

Prep it ahead of time!

You can prep your dough balls ahead of time. Just pop them in the fridge with some seran wrap on top & take them out to bake when you're ready.

Eat it warm & reheat the right way.

These pull-apart rolls are best served warm! When you're reheating pop them in the oven or air-fryer for best results.

This post was about pull-apart bread.

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